ENGLISH
REFERENCE

kong

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈkɔŋ// kong

n. a very large and powerful person, animal, or thing. It comes from the famous giant movie gorilla, King Kong.

n. a person or entity of immense power, size, or influence within a specific domain. Often used metaphorically or as a suffix to imply dominance or massive scale.


SIMPLE

That new skyscraper is a real Kong among the smaller buildings.

CONTEXTUAL

In the world of tech giants, the company stands as a Kong that smaller startups struggle to compete with.

COMPLEX

The literary critic described the novel as a Kong of the genre, looming over contemporary works with its sheer ambition and structural complexity.

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Mandarin 孔 (kǒng) or Cantonese 江 (gong1).

Etymology 2

From Manipuri ꯀꯣꯡ (kong).

Usage

Often used in the phrase 'King Kong' or as a metaphor for something unusually large. When used as a proper noun, it refers specifically to the fictional giant ape.

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